An Introduction to Ley Lines

Old Straight Tracks

Ley lines were initially a mainly British interest, however ley
research has now spread to most countries of the world - and beyond!
The word "ley" derives from "lea", an area of open country.

What Are Ley Lines?

The concept of ley lines (although he didn't like that name) was first suggested by
Alfred Watkins in 1921
then popularised by his 1925 book
The Old Straight Track.
Watkins noticed whilst out walking in Herefordshire that a number of significant places were
in clear visual alignment. On studying detailed maps of the area he went on to find a number
of other such strange lines on the landscape - what we now call ley lines.

Watkins was not the first to notice these remarkable alignments. He himself
referred back to a paper by G.H.Piper which noted:

"A line drawn from the Skirrid-fawr mountain northwards to
Arthur's Stone would pass over the camp and southern most point of
Hatterill Hill, Oldcastle, Longtown Castle, and Urishay and Snodhill
castles."

What Do Ley Lines Mean?

The existence of ley lines is undeniable. You can find your own simply by taking a detailed
map of an area and marking points of significance. You will probably see quickly
that there are very clear lines to be found - ancient sites often fitting
on to a perfect straight line between natural features.

The weird lines certainly exist. What - if anything - they actually mean is a more difficult question.

Ley lines today have taken on a high degree of mystical, new age and sometimes paranormal
significance. Some people even like to associate them with UFO phenomena and ley
lines on other planets have been investigated. Remote dowsing has sometimes been used for this purpose.

Watkins himself considered ley lines to be simply an anthropological artefact rather than anything weird, psychic or spiritual.
He theorised that ancient Britain had supported a network of travel routes.
For ease of navigation, these were generally straight lines which went between clearly
visible landmarks. As travellers used these routes, so other sites were naturally
built along them - much as service stations are built along major roads today. The people
who created these travel routes were called "dodmen".

The Mystical Significance of Ley Lines

The more mystical approach allocates to these lines some deeper significance or
power. It is hypothesised that this power could be sensed - consciously or
otherwise - by the mystics and seers responsible for selecting the ancient sites.
An alternative mystic view reverses the causality and suggests that the presence of the sites on the ley lines
actually creates a power.

A system of ley lines which converge on one particular point - of which Glastonbury
is a famous example - can thus be seen either as ancient builders recognising
a place of power or as a place gaining importance from the focus of lines of power.

What could that strange power be? Different people have different opinions, covering everything
from fluctuations in the earth's magnetic field through to psychic resonance
from alien UFO landings.

The Sceptical View

The Skeptics, of course, prefer to dismiss it all as coincidence. Whilst
accepting that ley lines exist they argue that if you place enough points on a
map then you will be bound to find some straight lines purely at random.